How to Post a Video on TikTok Without Copyright

That sinking feeling when TikTok mutes your video's audio or slaps it with a copyright warning is something every creator wants to avoid. Navigating the world of copyright can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to keep you from creating killer content. This guide breaks down exactly how to use audio and video safely, find legally sound alternatives, and post on TikTok with total confidence.

Understanding TikTok's Copyright System (The Basics)

First, let’s get on the same page about how this works. Copyright is a legal protection for original works, whether that’s a song, a movie scene, or a sound effect. When you upload a video to TikTok, its automated Content Identification system scans it to check for copyrighted material it recognizes. This system is designed to protect the artists, labels, and studios who own the rights to that content.

If the system finds a match you don't have the rights for, a few things can happen:

• Your audio gets muted. This is the most common outcome. TikTok will remove the copyrighted sound from your video, leaving it silent.
• Your video is taken down. If the violation is more severe, especially with visual content like TV show clips, TikTok may remove the video entirely.
• Your account gets a strike. Repeat offenses can lead to strikes against your account, which could result in temporary suspensions or, in the worst-case scenario, a permanent ban.

Think of it as TikTok acting as a referee, making sure everyone plays by the rules to keep the platform fair and legal for both creators and rights holders.

The Safest Bet: Using TikTok's Own Sound Library

The number one, surefire way to avoid copyright problems with music on TikTok is to use the audio TikTok provides directly within the app. TikTok spends a fortune on licensing deals with major music labels so you can use trending audio without getting into hot water. However, there’s a big difference between a personal account and a business account.

For Personal Accounts: The General Sounds Library

If you're running a personal creator account, you get access to a massive library of audio under the "Sounds" tab. This includes millions of songs, from today's chart-toppers to viral soundbites. Because TikTok has negotiated the licensing for this music, you’re free to use it in your organic, non-promotional videos.

It's designed for personal expression, participating in trends, and creating for fun. As long as you aren’t running ads or directly selling a product in the video, this is your creative playground.

How to add a sound from the library:

1. Tap the (+) button to create a new video.
2. At the top of the screen, tap "Add sound."
3. Browse trending sounds, search for a specific track, or explore playlists.
4. Tap on a sound to preview it, and then tap the checkmark to add it to your video. Simple as that!

For Business Accounts: The Commercial Music Library (CML)

Ever switched your account to "Business" and watched all the popular songs disappear from the music library? There's a very important reason for that. Using a popular song to market a product or service is a "commercial use," and the licenses for that are entirely different - and much more expensive - than for personal use. A personal creator using a Taylor Swift song in a dance video is one thing, a brand using it in an ad for soda is another.

To keep businesses legally safe, TikTok created the Commercial Music Library. This is a collection of over a million songs and sounds that are all pre-cleared and royalty-free for commercial use. This means you can use any track from this library to promote your brand, videos, or products without fear of copyright infringement.

While you won’t find Drake or Olivia Rodrigo here, you will find high-quality, professional music across every genre imaginable. It’s a resource designed to give your brand a polished, professional sound while keeping you on the right side of the law.

Beyond TikTok's Library: Finding and Using Your Own Audio

Sometimes you need a specific type of music that isn't in TikTok's library, or you want to use original audio. This is completely possible, but you have to make sure you have the rights to everything you upload. Here are your best options.

Royalty-Free Music Services

The term "royalty-free" doesn't mean the music is free, it means you pay a one-time fee or a subscription to license the music and don’t have to pay recurring royalties to the creator for each use. For professional content creators and brands, these services are invaluable.

Platforms like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and Soundstripe offer huge catalogs of high-quality music and sound effects. You typically pay a monthly or annual subscription, which gives you a license to use their library in your content across multiple platforms, including TikTok. This is the perfect middle ground for when the Commercial Music Library feels too limited but you still need to stay 100% legally compliant.

Using Your Original Audio

This is the ultimate copyright-proof method. If you created it, you own it.

“Original Audio” can be anything you produce yourself:

• Music: If you're a musician, posting snippets of your own songs is a great way to promote your work.
• Voiceovers: Creating tutorials, daily vlogs, or educational content with your own narration is completely safe.
• Skits and Dialogue: Comedians and storytellers who write and perform their own material are using original audio.
• Foley and Sound Effects: That satisfying ASMR crunch or the sound of chopping vegetables? If you recorded it, it's yours to use.

When you upload a video with a sound no one else has used before, TikTok simply attributes it to you as an "original sound."

Public Domain Content

In theory, content in the public domain - where the copyright has expired - is free for anyone to use. However, this is trickier than it sounds. While an old classical composition by Mozart is in the public domain, the specific recording of that composition by the London Symphony Orchestra from 1995 is almost certainly still under copyright. Unless you are a copyright expert, trying to verify if both the composition and the specific recording are in the public domain can lead you into trouble. It's often safer to use a royalty-free service instead.

Navigating the Gray Areas: Fair Use and Transformative Content

You’ve probably heard creators talk about "fair use" as a reason they can use clips from movies or popular songs. This is an incredibly risky and misunderstood area. Fair use is a complex legal doctrine that permits the unlicensed use of copyrighted material in some circumstances, such as for criticism, commentary, news reporting, or parody.

The key thing to understand is that fair use is a legal defense, not a right. It's something you argue in a court of law after you've already been accused of infringement. TikTok's automated system can't tell if your use is "fair." It sees a match and flags it. Relying on fair use to avoid a takedown on TikTok is like betting your video on a flip of a coin.

A closely related idea is creating "transformative" content - adding a new and original spin on the source material. A duet where you add meaningful commentary, a stitch where you thoughtfully respond to a clip, or a video that satirizes a TV show trope is more likely to be seen as transformative. Simply re-uploading a funny scene from a movie is not.

Ultimately, operating in this gray area is a business risk. If you want true peace of mind, it’s always best to stick to audio and video you have the explicit rights to use.

Practical Tips to Stay Out of Copyright Jail

Ready to post? Keep these simple rules in mind to stay on the safe side.

• Prioritize the TikTok Sound Library. It’s the easiest and safest choice. For brands, embrace the Commercial Music Library - it was built for you.
• Credit the Original Creator (For Trends). This doesn’t help with copyright from music labels or movie studios, but when using a sound originally created by another TikToker, giving credit is proper etiquette and helps that creator get the visibility they deserve.
• Keep Clips Short. Posting a 3-minute scene from a TV show is asking for a takedown. Using a 3-second clip for a meme, reaction, or commentary is less likely (though still not guaranteed) to be flagged.
• Don't Just Re-upload Content. Never, ever just screen-record something from another service and upload it as your own. You must add something of your own to the video, whether it's visual presence, commentary, or a new context.
• When in Doubt, Leave it Out. If a little voice in your head is asking, "Am I allowed to use this?" the answer is probably no. It's better to find a safe alternative than to risk your video or your account.

Final Thoughts

Posting on TikTok without copyright issues boils down to using pre-approved sources, your own original content, or properly licensed royalty-free tracks. By sticking to TikTok's own music libraries or exploring a professional subscription service for custom audio, you can focus on creating engaging content instead of worrying about video takedowns.

Once your video and audio are ready, getting your content organized is the next challenge. At Postbase, we're focused on making that process seamless. Because our platform was designed for a video-first social media landscape, you can plan and schedule your legally-sound TikToks, Reels, and Shorts from one visual calendar, trusting that your content will publish reliably every single time.